Mechanism for actuating ignition of percussion-ignitable flash lamps

ABSTRACT

For use in photographic apparatus having a shutter, a shutter driver movable into engagement with the shutter to open the shutter, and a socket adapted to receive a percussion-ignitable flashlamp unit, a mechanism is provided for actuating ignition of a percussion-ignitable flashlamp unit received in the socket using motion of the shutter driver to supply the force for said actuation.

UnitedIStates Patent Inventor Chester W. Michatek Rochester, N.Y.

Appl. No. 767,100

Filed Oct. 14, 1968 Patented Apr. 27, 1971 Assignee Eastman Kodak Company Rochester, N.Y.

MECHANISM FOR AC UA'riNG murr ou o1 PERCUSSION-IGNI'IABLE FLASH LAMPS 2 Claims, lDravvingFig u.s.c1 .1, -9s/11.s, 240/13 1111.01 G03b 9/70 95/115;

[56] 1 References Cited UNrrED STATES PATENTS 501,800 7/1893 Mallick.. ..,..-.I 95/11.5x 590,204 9/ 1'897 Blac km0re 95/115 1,307,220e 6 1919 '[Straight 95/115 2,091,601 8/1937 Leijdens Primary E xor niher.lohn M. Horan Assistant ExaminerAla'n Mathews I 4ttorf1ey 1- Robert W. Hampton and William C. Dixon, Ill

For use in photographic apparatus having a shutter, a shutter driver movable into engagement with the shutter to o pen the'shutter, and a socket adapted to receive a percussion-ignitable flashlamp unit, a'mechanism is provided for actuating ignition of a percussion-ignitable flashlamp unit received in the socket using motion of the shutter driver to supply the force for said actuation.

PATENTEDAPRZYIQYI 3.576156 CHESTER W. MICHATEK INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS MECHANISM FOR ACI'UATING IGNITION OF PERCUSSION-IGNI'IABLE FLASH LAMPS CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS Reference is made to the following copending US. Pat. applications:

Ser. No. 765,930, entitled MULTILAMP FLASH UNIT, filed Oct. 8, 1968, in the name of David E. Beach;

Ser. No. 765,931, entitled SOCKET FOR MULTILAMP FLASH UNIT, filed Oct. 8, I968, in the name of David E. Beach; and

Ser. No 766,739, entitled APPARATUS FOR ACTUATING FIRING OF PERCUSSION-IGNITABLE FLASH LAMPS AND OPERATING MECHANISM THEREFOR, filed Oct. II, 1968, in the name of William T. Hochreiter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION I. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to photographic apparatus and particularly to a mechanism for actuating ignition of a percusion-ignitable flashlamp unit in use with such apparatus.

2. Description of the Prior Art There has recently been developed a self-contained, percussion-ignitable flashlamp unit having a lamp envelope enclosing a combustible material and a combustionsupporting gas, with a metal tube extending from the bottom of the lamp envelope and containing a primer charge that is ignitable in response to percussive contact with the tube by a mechanically actuated striking member or hammer built into photographic apparatus adapted to receive such a unit. A

flashlamp unit of this kind is described in copending US. Pat. application, Ser. No. 765,930, entitled MULTILAMP FLASH UNIT, filed Octv 8, I968, in the name of David E. Beach. A socket that is suitable for receiving and operatively supporting such a flashlamp unit is described in commonly assigned, copending US. Pat. application Ser. No. 765,931, entitled SOCKET FOR MULTILAMP FLASH UNIT, filed Oct. 8, 1968, in the name of David E. Beach. A photographic apparatus and a mechanism therein suitable for percussively igniting such a flashlamp unit supported in such a socket are described in commonly assigned, copending US. Pat. application, Ser. No. 766,739, entitled APPARATUS FOR ACTUATING FIRING OF PERCUSSION-IGNITABLE FLASH LAMPS AND OPERATING MECHANISM THEREFOR, filed in the name of William T. Hochreiter.

The mechanism described in the copending Hochreiter application for actuating ignition of a percussion-ignitable flashlamp unit comprises a shutter-driving member which, through suitable linkage, cocks and then releases a resilient striking member, such as a leaf spring, mounted in a position normally adjacent to but spaced from a received percussionignitable flashlamp unit. Upon movement of the shutterdriving member to open an associated shutter, an end portion of the resilient striking member is first moved in a direction away from the received flash unit to a cocked position. In its cocked position, the resilient striking member has potential energy that is sufficient, upon release, to move the striking member rapidly back through its normal position and on toward the received flash unit and into percussive contact with the unit. Such a mechanism has the disadvantages of being mechanically complex and of first requiring cocking of the resilient striking member bythe shutter-driving member prior to its release for movement into percussive contact with the received flash unit. Since, in photographic apparatus, actuation of flashlamp ignition normally must preceed shutter opening, the mechanism just described could pose a limitation in achieving optimum synchronization of flashlamp ignition with shutter opening. There is thus a need for a simpler mechanism by which ignition of a received percussionignitable flashlamp unit may be effectuated more directly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention was to provide, for use in photographic apparatus of the type having means for operatively receiving a percussion-ignitable flashlamp unit, a mechanism to actuate ignition of a received percussion-ignitable flashlamp unit that would be simpler in construction, more direct in operation, and more efficient in synchronizing flashlamp ignition with shutter opening, than other such mechanisms known heretofore.

Another object of the invention was to provide such an improved mechanism that would be suitable for actuating ignition of a percussion-ignitable flashlamp in a received multilamp flash unit having a plurality of such lamps.

A further object was to provide such an improved mechanism that would be particularly suitable for actuating ignition of a percussion-ignitable flashlamp in a received flash unit having at least one such lamp and an associated striking member that is' moveable upon actuation into percussive contact with its associated lamp.

To meet these and other objects, the present invention provides a mechanism for actuating ignition of a percussionignitable flashlamp unit received in a socket on a photographic apparatus having a shutter and movable shutter opening means, the mechanism comprising an actuating means movable by the shutter opening means into contact with a received flash unit for effecting ignition of the received unit.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the socket is adapted to receive a multilamp flash unit of the type having a plurality of percussion-ignitable lamps and a plurality of associated striking members, each movable independently into percussive contact with its associated lamp, the actuating means being movable into contact with such a unit received in the socket toeffect movement of one of the striking members into percussive contact with its associated lamp to ignite the lamp.

The invention, and its objects and advantages, will become more apparent in the detailed description of the preferred embodiment presented below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention presented below, reference is made to the accompanying drawing, in which the mechanism of the present invention is shown incorporated in a photographic camera having a socket for receiving a multilamp flash unit having a plurality of percussion-ignitable flash lamps therein.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Because certain parts of photographic and related apparatus are well known, the following description is directed in particular to those elements forming, or cooperating directly with, the present invention, elements that are not specifically shown or described herein being understood to be selectable from those known in the art.

The drawing illustrates a photographic camera 10 having a housing 11 that includes a front wall 12 and a top wall 13, the front and top walls 12 and 13 being shown partially broken away for clarity of illustration. Included in camera 10 are a shutter 14 pivoted as at 15 for movement between a closed position shown in solid lines and an open position shown in broken lines, a spring 16 mounted at one end on a pin 17 fixed to camera housing 11 and at the other end on shutter 14 for returning shutter I4 from its open position to its closed position, a shutter-driving member or driver 18 slidably mounted for movement by a spring 19 into driving engagement with shutter 14, and a shutter-release member 20 slidably mounted for downward releasing movement by the camera operator and upward return movement by a spring 21 to respectively release shutter driver 18 from, and retain shutter driver 18 in, its cocked position shown in solid lines.

Also included in camera 10, but not shown, is a filmwinding and shutter-cocking mechanism through which the camera operator can effect the return of shutter driver 18 from its released position shown in broken lines to its cocked position shown in solid lines. Upon completion of such cocking movement, shutter-release member 20, having been returned by spring 21 to its original position, shown in solid lines, retains shutter driver 18 in its cocked position by the engagement of lug 22 with lug 23 as shown.

Shutter driver 18 includes a shutter-driving portion 24, extending toward front wall 12 and engageable with portion 25 of shutter 14, and another portion 26 extending toward top wall 13 as shown. Spaced slightly to the right of portion 26 is a ramp portion 27 of an irregularly shaped actuating member 28, which is pivotally mounted as at 29 to permit substantially vertical movement of an upwardly extending finger 30 at the right-hand end of member 28.

Shown beneath the broken-away portion of top wall 13 is a socket 31 for removably receiving a multilamp flash unit 32 having a plurality of percussion-ignitable lamps 33 therein, such a flash unit being shown in a position above camera from which it may conveniently be inserted into socket 31. Each of the percussion-ignitable lamps 33 in flash unit 32 has a primer stem or ignition tube 34 depending therefrom as shown. Disposed within unit 32, in a position adjacent to but spaced from the ignition tube 34 of each lamp 33, is a resilient striking member 35 biased for movement into percussive contact with tube 34 but shown retained or cocked against such movement by a lug 36 protruding upwardly from the base 37 of unit 32. In base 37, beneath each cocked striking member 35, is an opening or hole 38 through which an actuating member such as finger 30 can move to push striking member 35 upwardly out of engagement with lug 36 and thereby release striking member 35 for rapid movement, under its own biasing influence, into percussive contact with ignition tube 34.

Depending from the center of flash-unit base 37 is a squareshaped mounting stem 39 having a square-shaped axial opening therein (not shown). In each sidewall 40 of mounting stem 39 is a recess or opening 41 through which a suitably shaped retaining finger of socket 31 can extend. Socket 31 includes a square-shaped center post 42, which is snugly receivably in the square-shaped axial opening in mounting stem 39, and a plurality of fingers 43 that are resiliently movable into engagement with recesses or openings 41 in mounting stem 39 when center post 42 is received in the axial opening of stem 39 upon insertion of unit 32 into socket 31. The snug fit of square-shaped center post 42 in the squareshaped axial opening in mounting stem 39 serves to both orient unit 32 in an operative angular position and retain unit 32 against unintended rotation in the socket during use, while fingers 43, when engaged with recesses or openings 41, serve particularly to retain unit 32 against possible upward movement during percussive ignition of a lamp 33 in the unit. A flash-unit mounting stern and a mating socket center post of this type also permit a smaller socket opening than has been used heretofore.

Shown in top wall 13, at a location adjacent to the socket opening, is a hole 44 to permit movement of finger 30 into and out of contact with received flash unit 32, finger 30, in its upward travel, protruding through hole 44 and through hole 38 thereabove to push striking member 35 upwardly out of engagement with lug 36 as previously described.

Actuating member 28 is caused to rotate in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in the drawing, when struck at ramp portion 27 by portion 26 of shutter driver 18 during movement of driver 18 by spring 19 in the direction of arrow A, such counterclockwise rotation of actuating member 28 resulting in upward movement of finger 30 into contact with received flash unit 32. It has been found that suitable synchronization of flashlamp ignition with shutter opening is obtained when shutter driver 18 strikes actuating member 28 before shutter driver 18 strikes shutter 14, thereby permitting peak flashlamp illumination to be attained by the time shutter 14 is fully opened. Although, in the preferred embodiment as illustrated, shutter driver 18 travels in the direction of arrow A a certain distance before striking first ramp portion 27 of actuating member 28 and then portion 25 of shutter 14, it should be understood that the entire stroke of movement by shutter driver 18 in the direction of arrow A, both before and after shutter driver 18 engages actuating member 28 and shutter 14, is considered and referred to herein as shutteropening movement of shutter driver 18. As shown and described herein, finger 30 of actuating member 28 thus provides a percussion-ignition actuating means that is movable into contact with a received flash unit 32 to effect percussion ignition of a lamp 33 in the received unit, such actuating means being coupled to, or integral with, a movable member such as actuating member 28 that is driven directly by shutter driver 18 during shutter-opening movement of driver 18.

In operation, the mechanism of the present invention, as incorporated in the preferred embodiment shown and described herein, works as follows. Upon the camera operators downward movement of shutter-release member 20 from its position shown in solid lines to its position shown in broken lines, the shutter-driving member or driver 18 is released for rapid movement by spring 19 in the direction of arrow A. Such movement of shutter driver 18 first causes portion 26 thereof to strike ramp portion 27 of actuating member 28, causing member 28 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction and thereby move finger 30 upwardly through hole 44 and through hole 38 to release striking member 35 for movement into percussive contact with ignition tube 34 of lamp 33. Continued movement of shutter driver 18 in the direction of arrow A then causes portion 24 thereof to strike portion 25 of shutter 14, causing shutter 14 to rotate in a clockwise direction from its closed position to its open position. After a photographic exposure is thus made, the aforementioned film-winding and shutter-cocking mechanism (not shown) in the camera is operated by the camera operator to efiect the return of shutter driver 18 and actuating member 28 to their original positions shown in the drawing, shutter-release member 20 having already been returned to its original position by return spring 21.

It will thus be seen that the various objects of the present invention have been achieved in that a simplified mechanism has been provided for actuating ignition of a percussionignitable flashlamp unit, particularly a unit of the type shown and described herein, the mechanism being considerably more direct in its operation, and more efficicnt in synchronizing flashlamp ignition with shutter opening, than other such mechanisms known or used heretofore.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention.

lclaim:

1. In a camera having:

a. means for receiving a flash unit having at least one flashlamp ignitable by striking and a releasable preenergized striker for effecting such striking;

b. an ignition member movable from a first position to a second position to release a striker of a received unit;

c. a shutter mounted formovement between open and closed positions;

d. resilient means urging said shutter toward a closed position;

e. a body release movable by a camera operator;

f. a shutter driver movable between a first position and a second position;

g. means for urging said shutter driver from said first position towards said second position; and

h. means for retaining said driver in said first position, said retaining means being releasable, in response to operator operation of said body release;

the improvement wherein said shutter driver includes:

means for engaging and driving open said shutter during movement of said shutter driver from said first position to said secondposition, and means for translating motion of said driver moving from its first position to its second position to said ignition member to move said ignition member from its first position to its second position to fire a received flash unit in timed relation with operation of said shutter. 2. In a camera having: a. a shutter driver mounted for movement from a first position to a second position; b. means for urging said shutter driver from said first position towards said second position; v r c. releasable means for retaining said shutter driver in said first position; and

d. a shutter openable to effect an exposure and positioned to be engaged and driven open by said shutter driver during movement of said shutter shutter driver from said first to said second position;

the improvement comprising:

a flash igniting member movable from a retracted position to an igniting position for firing a percussion ignitable flashlamp and means movable with said shutter driver for translating the force of movement of said shutter driver in going from said first to said second position to said igniting member to move said igniting member from its retracted position to its firing position in timed relation with opening of said shutter. 

1. In a camera having: a. means for receiving a flash unit having at least one flashlamp ignitable by striking and a releasable preenergized striker for effecting such sTriking; b. an ignition member movable from a first position to a second position to release a striker of a received unit; c. a shutter mounted for movement between open and closed positions; d. resilient means urging said shutter toward a closed position; e. a body release movable by a camera operator; f. a shutter driver movable between a first position and a second position; g. means for urging said shutter driver from said first position towards said second position; and h. means for retaining said driver in said first position, said retaining means being releasable in response to operator operation of said body release; the improvement wherein said shutter driver includes: means for engaging and driving open said shutter during movement of said shutter driver from said first position to said second position, and means for translating motion of said driver moving from its first position to its second position to said ignition member to move said ignition member from its first position to its second position to fire a received flash unit in timed relation with operation of said shutter.
 2. In a camera having: a. a shutter driver mounted for movement from a first position to a second position; b. means for urging said shutter driver from said first position towards said second position; c. releasable means for retaining said shutter driver in said first position; and d. a shutter openable to effect an exposure and positioned to be engaged and driven open by said shutter driver during movement of said shutter shutter driver from said first to said second position; the improvement comprising: a flash igniting member movable from a retracted position to an igniting position for firing a percussion ignitable flashlamp and means movable with said shutter driver for translating the force of movement of said shutter driver in going from said first to said second position to said igniting member to move said igniting member from its retracted position to its firing position in timed relation with opening of said shutter. 